98 XJ tick tick ticking!

RCP Phx said:

Sounds like the cam is flattening, did you check it? Also did you check the lifter pre-load?

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No comment on this post, but I just want to post the cautionary tale that I only have a single daily driver XJ and had a similar tick, and went with a Jasper rebuilt motor. Tick is gone, but I have 25% less gas mileage and lower power as a result. I should have spent the time if I could have to find the smaller problem rather than bailing on the engine. Feel a lot of guilt over giving up a well maintainted motor that I was the original owner of.

Yeah it is truly bewildering to me. I felt like I was losing my mind after putting three new gaskets and two new exhaust headers on it.


I am not sure what you mean by checking the cam. I looked down into the hole where each lifter sits and looked at the cam to make sure it wasn't grooved or beat up but that's about as far as I went with it. I also did not check lifter preload and I am unsure why I would as I did not see the FSM mention it in the procedure (to my knowledge, the 4.0 valvetrain is not adjustable).



That is unfortunate asymptonic but I wouldn't beat yourself up on it. You could be like me and feel like you're running around in circles!

There should be a sticky at this point that says if your motor is ticking but otherwise running fine, leave it. It's just how it is now.

Haha agreed. I used to worry about it blowing up but that was 2 years ago and she's still ticking away. That's what the 4.0 does...get abused, sound like crap, leak oil yet keeps running and asking for more.

What oil you running? Yeah agree valves or lifters. From listening. Take a Water house and try and pin point where it’s coming from. After it’s warmed up does it do it when it’s the engine is cold?

Unclewolverine said:

There should be a sticky at this point that says if your motor is ticking but otherwise running fine, leave it. It's just how it is now.

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So true.

Your mentioned your noise at the back part of the engine, near the firewall. Have you researched "solenoid purge valve ticking noise"?

Ivan said:

Your mentioned your noise at the back part of the engine, near the firewall. Have you researched "solenoid purge valve ticking noise"?

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This isn't bad advice, I've had to do it once and about to do it again. But, this one is pretty easy to localize with the hood up. Also the solenoid ticks significantly slower than engine RPM.

On my 2k I have never heard my PV make any noise in 23yrs!

Ivan said:

Your mentioned your noise at the back part of the engine, near the firewall. Have you researched "solenoid purge valve ticking noise"?

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Read the first half of this year old thread thinking the same thing. Shit drove me crazy for half an hour one day until I realized it was the solenoid on the passenger side.